This invention relates to epoxy resin compositions useful in coating applications. In a specific aspect, the invention relates to curing agents for epoxy resin-based powder coatings.
An important issue in the paint industry is the replacement of solvent-borne coatings by environmentally-acceptable, low-solvent systems. One promising trend is the use of epoxy-based powder coatings which are applied without the use of solvents.
One such powder coating system employs glycidyl esters of alpha-branched C.sub.9-11 aliphatic monocarboxylic acids as curing agents for the epoxy resin. The resulting powder coatings have excellent color and gloss retention, outdoor durability and hydrolylic stability. These powder coatings, however, typically exhibit melting points below about 65.degree. C., which is undesirably low for melting powder applications, which generally require powders having melting points above about 70.degree. C.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an epoxy resin curing agent useful in powder coating formulations.